Merry Memories
by Romania Black
Summary: An early fanfic I decided to cut off. It's about an OC Vardahir, Pippin, Merry, OC Aldarida, and Frodo go on the journey of their lives, full of twists, turns, and some other surprises! Enjoy!
1. Merry's Memories

"Merry Memories"  
  
By Romania Black and Aldarida   
  
Me and Al (short for Aldarida) couldn't resist writing a LOTR fic. I personally thought *emphasis on thought* that I had a chance with liking Aragorn at one time...until I found out he marries Arwen...crud...anyway, now I'm obsessed with Legolas...and Al is still into Elijah Wood and Dominic Monaghan, so there you go....Hope you enjoy this fic we wrote!  
  
~Romania Black~  
  
P.S. I own nothing of Mr. Tolkeins....that is a sad statement to say the least....^.^  
  
  
  
Chapter One: Merry Meetings  
  
Vardahir sat out on the window ledge, staring at the blue crystal skies before her. It was the usual boring days, when there was utterly nothing to do outside, and the threat of being forced to dance around in a dress and sip tea were of the most hated activities.   
  
Vardahir sighed and stretched herself out on the couch. Yawning, she kneeled over and picked up one of the letters her friend Aldarida had sent her. The feeling of the ink ingraved onto the parchment was stubbly and rough. She rubbed the lettering and placed the letter onto the table.   
  
"Boring....." Vardahir said, trying to sound amused. Being the daughter of King Aragorn, Vardahir was never allowed to leave Gondor to go to the Shire, though she wished to.   
  
Suddenly the door to her room opened widely, and Vardahir gasped as a small childlike figure fall to the floor. Rushing over to see who it was she was shocked when she recognized the figure.   
  
"Master MERRY!?!?!!?" Vardahir screamed as she lifted up his limp body off the floor. Blood trickled from his forehead and his breath was heavy. She cradled him in her arms and rushed his body over to the sink in her bathroom.   
  
Running cold water over his head, she slowly saw his eyes open up.  
  
"Merry, can you hear me?" Vardahir said raising his head.  
  
"A battle...A fight...fire and ash..." Merry sputtered. Vardahir gazed at him sadly, the fear spreading through her body.  
  
"Merry...is the shire is...burning?" Vardahir asked slowly, biting her lip in horror.  
  
Merry looked up at Vardahir and gave her a strange look.  
  
"I think it was something Shire-like...but who are you...and....who am I?"  
  
Vardahir froze. *Who AM I?!?!?!* She thought wildly. *This couldn't be happening.*  
  
"What...Merry..what battle.?" She said as she ran him over to her bed.   
  
"I don't know....all I rememebr was.....was...." Merry said. Then, his head slumped into the pillow on the bed.  
  
Vardahir stood there. She had no idea what to do. She had never delt with something like this before. It was always her father. All she knew what that Merry couldn't have been in the Shire because Pippin and him had stayed at Minus Tirith all this week. The only thing she could think of was that it was all a dream..or a warning! Her eyes widened....  
  
"Stay here!" she said. She ran down to her father...  
  
'Dad, Dad..........O dad,"   
  
"Vardahir what is it my child...." Aragorn asked concerned. He was looking through some papers.  
  
"It's Merry....he's said something about a battle and fire! I don't know, but is anything wrong." Vardahir said as she nelt down by her father.  
  
"Hunny, if anything was wrong believe me, you would know!!" He said.  
  
"But father!" Vardahir sputtered in a exhausted voice. Aragorn continued looking at the papers on his throne.   
  
"Not now, darling." Aragorn said getting slightly frustrated.  
  
Vardahir couldn't believe her father wasn't going to help her. Annoyed, she stood up, gave her father one final glance, then raced out the doorway and back to her room. At the doorway, she paused, to make sure that this was really happening. Then, she cautiously walked into her room.  
  
Merry was still lying on the bed, his head had stopped bleeding, though there was now small purple bruises forming on his brow. Vardahir knelt down beside him and raised a hand to touch his forehead. It was burning up.  
  
"My lady?" Vardahir turned to see a small lady in the doorway. It was Elanor Gamgee, the maiden to Vardahir's mother, Arwen. She had small blonde curls that hung down eleagantly in her face. Elanor gazed for a second at Vardahir, then noticed the figure sleeping on her bed.   
  
"Elanor, now don't freak out..." Vardahir tried to say to her, seeing the wideness of her eyes.   
  
"Merry!!!!" Elanor screamed, running to his side. "I...I thought King Aragorn was lying...but now...." Elanor began to sob and ran her fingers over her eyes. Vardahir sighed.  
  
"What now?"   
  
"Well," Elanor said sadly. "King Aragorn is coming up to check on him."   
  
"Let's get some hot water going," Vardahir said slowly and trying not to panic. "before he starts to get sick."  
  
''Merry are you ok..?" Elanor said running her fingers through his hair, trying to keep his hair out of his cut. Merry sat laying on the bed...you could tell he was in pain. Vardahir ran into her bathroom and filled a bowl up with warm water.   
  
Suddenly Sam, Rosie, Pippin and Aldarida came running through the door.   
  
*God, what is up with all the halflings today?* Vardahir thought to herself. She ran into the room with the water.  
  
"Move....please move...I need to wash out his cut," she said. Merry grabbed Elanor's hand and squeezed it. Elanor looked at Merry and then glanced up at Pippin. He smiled and then turned to go out the door. But he was stopped by Aragorn.  
  
"Oh, there you are. I was just going to find you." He said.  
  
"Thank you, Master Took." he said.  
  
*I wish he wouldn't call me that!* Pippin thought to himself. Aragorn sat beside Vardahir on the bed.   
  
''Dad, he's burning up..what do you think is wronge with him..??" She said.   
  
"I don't know...." Aragorn said. For once he didn't know what was wrong. For he grew up around elves, so he could know all the illnesses of their kind, but this he wasn't for sure about. Elanor looked around and met Aragorn in the eye. She was scared and Aragorn could see it in her eyes.   
  
Aldarida walked up to Elanor and put her hand on her shoulder. Elanor smiled and then let go of Merry's hand. She stood up and walked over stand by her father and mother. Pippin walked up and stood by Elanor. He put is arm around her shoulder, she smiled at him and he smiled at her....as if something was going on.  
  
"OK, lets let Master Brandybuck sleep for a while. He should be ok." Aragorn said as he guieded the hobbits out of the room. "Aldarida, where is Frodo?"  
  
"He had some buissness to attend. He's been gone for two days now. But I'm sure if he hears of this he will be here shortly." she said brushing the long blonde hair from her eyes. She was a tall mortal woman, with golden hair and dark blue eyes.   
  
"Elanor, don't worry Merry will be alright. I've seen him in worse conditions that this before....he'll pull through." Pippin said glancing at Elanor's long face.  
  
"Thanks Pip, I'm glad your here." Elanor smiled walking out the door.  
  
As the hobbits walked out the door, Aragorn puased and met Sam face to face, though it was more like face to stomache for Sam.   
  
"Sam, why are you here exactly? I thoguth you'd be in the Shire at home now?" He studied Sam closely. Sam blushed very profoundly.  
  
"Aw, well, actually me and Rosie here are for a tour of Minas Tirith that Pippin here offered me. Aldarida was invited to come by Frodo, who was called away for an important meeting two days ago. Merry was supposed to have gone with him!" Sam said frankly.  
  
Aragorn pensively gazed around at the others. Vardahir flushed.  
  
"Then something bad may have happened to Frodo!" She cried. Aragorn shook his head.  
  
"Now let's not jump to conclusions, dearest," Aragorn said calmly. "I'll go and inform the guards and have them search for Frodo's whereabouts." With that, he headed off into the next hall and out of sight.  
  
"Come with me, I'll lead you folks to some decent rooms," Elanor offered to Rosie, Sam, Aldarida and Pippin.  
  
"No, we're staying elsewhere for now," Sam said gently. "But thank you, daughter dearest."  
  
"Let's hurry home, and send word back to the Shire," Rosie encouraged, grabbing Sam's arm.  
  
"See you soon, Ellie!" Aldarida called back, exiting the room.  
  
Pippin grasped onto Elanor's hand and left through the doorway, waving goodbye.  
  
"Elanor!" Vardahir's sharp cry rang through the air. Elanor turned and gave her a distant glance.  
  
"What, my lady?"  
  
"It's Merry....," Vardahir said slowly, staring at the bed in her room. "He's waking up!"  
  
  
  
HOW WAS IT?!?!? Pleez review! The next Chapter is coming soon!  
  
~Romania Black and Aldarida~ ^_* 


	2. Frodo and the Quest

"Merry Memories: Chapter Two"  
  
By Romania Black  
  
Elanor and Pippin glanced at each other then Pippin nodded his head at her. She took off running to the room. Vardahir followed close behind her. Elanor saw Merry now standing at the window. It was as if he was looking for something in the distance.   
  
"Merry???" Elanor asked. Merry turned slowly towards her. He had no expression on his face, no sign of fright or worriment.  
  
"Hi Elanor." he said turning back to the window. Vardahir watched in wonder. She didn't know what to think. Merry then sat on the edge of the windowsill. The breeze blew his thick curls back and forth. "I remember what happened," he said softly. "Frodo and I were about to cross into Rohan, when we heard a thud in the distance, almost sounding like thunder. When we heard that we ran for shelter just incase it came a downpour or something like that.... As we ran it got darker and darker...it finally got so bad that it was hard to see where we were going. Then something grabbed us from behind. I couldn't see who or what they were. All I know was that they weren't Orcs. They were men because I could hear them talking. Then I heard Frodo give out a yell. So then I thought to myself. I have to get out of here and get help. I knew where we were and I knew Minus Tirith wasn't far from there. So I took off running here." Merry stopped suddenly...he stared...at mainly nothing....  
  
"What.... Merry what happened..."Elanor said. Merry looked at her.  
  
"I saw large Fires. As if a camp of some sort.... I could hear people yelling and screaming as if a battle...but I'm sure it was just my nerves playing tricks on me." he said. Vardahir and Elanor walked to the bed and sat down.   
  
"We have to inform Al." Vardahir started to say....  
  
"Inform me on what????"  
  
Aldarida stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips, staring at Merry mercilessly.   
  
"Oh, hi Al." Merry paused to remember the name of his fellow friend. "Aldarida! That's it!"  
  
"Glad to see your memory is back," Aldarida said sharply. "Now what's this about Frodo?"   
  
Everyone knew about Aldarida's fondness towards Frodo, and neither of them wanted to tell her the bad news. Unfortunately, Merry didn't remember this, and blabbed the terrible truth out.  
  
"Frodo's still stuck in the midst of what seemed like a battle.... I wonder if he's still alive..." Merry's voice trailed off.  
  
"WHAT!?!?!!?" Aldarida stared shocked by the words of her friend. Vardahir smiled weakly and grasped the shoulders of her fellow colleague.  
  
"Um...I'm sure Merry's exaggerating a little bit..." Vardahir said in a false encouraging way.  
  
"No," Merry said sadly. "I'm quite sure that he's injur--"   
  
Elanor gave him a sharp elbow into the stomach. Merry winced and recoiled back to the window. Elanor smiled swiftly and turned to Aldarida.  
  
"Frodo...poor Frodo...All alone in the cruel harsh realities of this land...." Aldarida said slowly.  
  
"And without a ring to protect him..." Elanor said pondering of what would happen to him.  
  
"WAHHHHH!" Aldarida began to sob in Vardahir's arms. Vardahir, who really didn't want Al's tears on her new dress, tried to wrangle Al off, but to no avail.  
  
"It's okay, Al," Vardahir said in a pained voice. "Frodo isn't going to be hurt."  
  
"With the numbers like that, he's most likely to be dead!" Merry said worried.  
  
Elanor gave him an evil glare and threatened to elbow him again. Merry stopped at once.  
  
"We'll call father, he'll know what to do!" Vardahir said to Al, who was now drowning in tears.  
  
"Merry," Elanor began, "Do you know where Frodo and you were ambushed?"  
  
Merry paused, trying to think. "Yes, I think I do."  
  
"Vardahir," Elanor said, rushing over to her and Al, "Let's call the King and have him send some men with us and head out of here to find Frodo!"  
  
Vardahir nodded. "Alright, let's go!"  
  
Vardahir and Elanor ran down the long hallway...and down the sets of stairs. Then they came to the large gathering room and there sat King Aragorn, and his beautiful wife Arwen. Vardahir and Ellie ran up to them. They could tell something was wrong. Arwen was quiet and didn't say much at first; Aragorn sat there with his head rested upon hand. Elanor and Vardahir looked at each other in worriment.   
  
"Dad is everything o.k. Something wrong?" Vardahir said. Aragorn looked at her them Elanor.  
  
"We heard some news about Frodo. My soldiers found him down by the river. They are guessing he and Merry were ambushed and he ran to get away...and..and fell into the river. They are bringing him in right now." Aragorn said. Then he paused.  
  
"Lord what is it? What happened? Is he alright?" Elanor said. She ran to the king's side and knelt down looking him in the eye. "Is Frodo...going to make it??" Suddenly there was a crash and then the doors slammed open. The soldiers came in. Two were carrying Frodo. Frodo was passed out. Vardahir and Elanor watched in terror, thinking the worst had happened. Al, Pippin and Merry came running down the long staircase. A fright came over their faces.  
  
"Come Hobbits, quickly follow me!" Vardahir said running to catch up with Soldiers.  
  
Frodo lay on Vardahir's bed, where Merry had been only hours before. Vardahir frowned.  
  
*Does anyone realize that is MY bed? * She thought to herself, sighing aloud.   
  
Elanor was by his side, but could only gaze down at him, for Aldarida had made herself the primary person of Frodo's view.  
  
"Any chance I could get closer?" Ellie said sadly.  
  
"I need to be right by him when he wakes up," Al said coolly. "So, no then."  
  
Elanor sulked off into the corner of the room, glaring back at Aldarida. Vardahir sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"At least we didn't have to go after him," Vardahir said with a splash of joy in her voice.  
  
"He came to us!" Merry said, obviously regaining his memory.  
  
"Yeah," Pippin muttered.  
  
Aldarida gazed out the window, her mind obviously on something else at the moment. There was a silence that filled the room. Vardahir started to notice the odd expression on Al's face beginning to form. It was a look of curiosity and pure terror that was spreading across her narrow brow. Aldarida suddenly reached into Frodo's jacket pocket and frantically started feeling around in it.  
  
"What are you doing?" Elanor pried, eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
Aldarida gave a startled cry.  
  
"It's NOT here!" She cried out.  
  
"What do you mean?" Merry asked curious.  
  
"The ring is gone!" Aldarida yelled out, her hand flying to her forehead.  
  
"The ONE ring?" Pip chimed in.   
  
"Yes," Al said slowly.  
  
Pip turned to look at Elanor.   
  
"She's lost her marbles!" He whispered to her furiously.  
  
"Um, Al, the one ring is destroyed!" Vardahir said trying to resolve the awkward situation for what it was.  
  
"No, no." Al started to mutter, "It's still here."  
  
"Sounds like someone needs to read 'Lord of the Rings...'" Merry said merrily.  
  
"Al, are you even talking about THE ONE RING?" Vardahir said calmly.  
  
"It's the one ring I know of," Al said dreamily.  
  
"But it's not the One Ring of Power?" Vardahir said raising an eyebrow.  
  
"OH! NO!" Al said, realizing what they were thinking. "Not THAT ring!"  
  
"Oh," Vardahir sighed in relief, "Good. Good."  
  
"I'm talking about my birthday ring!" Aldarida blabbed.  
  
Everyone stared at her strangely.  
  
"What?" Ellie said curious.  
  
"My birthday ring. It's what Frodo was getting me for my birthday! He told me himself that he was taking it to me when he got his business taken care of!"  
  
"Oh," Merry said thinking back. "He said something about it."  
  
"What?" Al asked urgently.  
  
"He showed it to me. It was very pretty, all blue and all, the gem anyways." Merry said jovially.  
  
"Where is it now?" Al asked.  
  
"Don't know. I think he may have lost it during the ambush!" Merry said suddenly remembering the event.   
  
Aldarida flared her eyes and stood up, grabbing the hands of the company around her.  
  
"We're going after it!" She said simply.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Pippin said in disbelief.  
  
"What about Frodo?" Elanor asked.   
  
"We'll have the King look after him," Al said simply. "He'll watch him while we look."  
  
"You're nuts!" Merry said aloud, drawing away from her.  
  
Al gave him a sad stare. "Oh, come on Merry!"  
  
"This'll be fun!" Vardahir was obviously not worried about this mission at all.  
  
"Geez," Pippin said staring at the group. "Isn't this going to be fun?!"  
  
Pippin, Merry, Vardahir, and Al all walked down the stairs. Vardahir walked up to her dad and explained what was happening and what they were going to do. As Vardahir talked to her dad the Hobbits stood and waited.   
  
"Do you think someone stole it?" Pippin asked.  
  
"No, no one stole it Pip.... it was dropped!" Merry said slowly.  
  
"What, what did you say?" Al said grabbing him by the shoulder. She, being the strong halfling she is she squeezed as hard as she could.  
  
"Ouch..ouch..Al ok..ok. I'm sorry. I just now remembered," Merry said dropping to his knees. Pippin laughed, Al let go of him. He rose up and rubbed his shoulder.  
  
"What's going on?" Vardahir asked.   
  
"NOTHIN" they said at once.   
  
"Lets go. we've got a journey ahead of us and...." Vardahir said  
  
"Wait....if we go on this mission, quest, thing....will we end up going further than what we've planned...we're not going to end up in.......MORDOR OR GONDOR are we???" Pippin asked forgetting where he was.  
  
"PIP we are in Gondor." Merry said shaking his head. Pippin just smiled....  
  
  
  
*2 Days Later*  
  
"Are we there yet...are we there yet..are we-"  
  
"Pippin will you shut up. I'm sick of you always asking us that. The answer is always the same....NO!!" Merry said as his face turned a bright red as he yelled. Pippin stared at Merry.  
  
"Well. we know of one person who woke up on the wrong side of their Rock this morning don't we." Pippin said.  
  
"Shhh,this is the place. look there's horse prints...and Hobbits tracks." Vardahir said.   
  
"How do you know?" Al asked   
  
"My father taught it to me when I was younger. Seeing how he grew up around the elves." she said. Merry and Pippin stood there. Merry looked around as if trying to find the ring. They all started to search around Aldarida gazed around, staring back at Vardahir, whom she thought knew what was going on. the area. Then they heard something. Everyone stood up. Al stood with a serious face. She wasn't going to let what ever it was to take her and her friends away.   
  
"This is where Frodo was..." Vardahir said slowly to herself. "But whose horse is this?"  
  
The group stared at each other, no on knowing the answer.  
  
"Merry? Did you travel on horse back?" Aldarida asked.  
  
"No, No we didn't."   
  
"Then, did the orcs and attackers have horses?" Vardahir inquired slowly.  
  
"No, no they didn't," Merry said plainly, not realizing that this meant someone else must have came by there.  
  
"Then that means..." Al started.  
  
"That someone else was here before us!" Vardahir cried out. She placed a hand to her forehead. "This is giving me a migraine!"  
  
"Could be worse," Pip said brightly.  
  
"WORSE?!?!" Vardahir screamed. "HOW!?!?"  
  
"We could be lost out here with no food or water," Pip began.  
  
"Pippin," Merry said approaching Pippin, "WE are LOST and have NO FOOD OR WATER!!!"  
  
"Geez, that is bad..." Pippin said bluntly, sitting down, right next to an arrow.  
  
"What's that?" Al asked.  
  
"Its...Its an arrow!" Pip said reaching for it.  
  
"STOP! That's mine!" A figure ran out in to the open field. The group recognized her at once.  
  
"Audyavieiel!" Al gasped. 


End file.
